Okage: Dark Messiah Prologue and Chapter 8
by Boogie Knight
Summary: Beiloune's illusionary empire has fallen and the barriers between worlds has fallen. In order to have the future he wants, Ari and will have to battle the nightmare that Beiloune feared most and wear his heart on his sleeve.


"Touchdown!" The Assistant Manager, a man in his late thirties whose eyes could never be seen through his glasses, celebrates his success with the paper football.

"Dad, we're working on something relevant this time." That was how the young man interrupted his father's game. The same young man, with emerald eyes and ember hair, who many months prior ended the reign of the False Evil Kings and smashed the machinations of Beiloune, the great puppet master enslaved by his own delusions and desires.

"Right, right. Stan, could you get the folder over there for me?"

"Pardon moi? Did you make the grievous error of giving commands to the King of Evil?"

Ari turns in his chair and faces his shadow possessed by Stan, "Can it, you're not doing a damn thing." Ari turns back to his paperwork, "Besides, you can stretch farther than Annie's explanations for where she was the night before."

At the home of Ari, his mother listens to Annie's tall tale while stirring a pot. She throws her braid over her shoulder as she leans over to sample the stew. She then inquires of her daughter donning a flowery, yellow dress and dangling in a chair, "So you were chased by a three-headed chupacabra?"

"Right, right. That's why I was so late to come home."

"Maybe I should ask your brother to chaperone your dates…I mean _study groups_. I'm proud of you growing up but you can't trick me young lady. Anything you can imagine doing I saw someone try to pull off when I was a hero." Few who only saw her in passing could imagine Ari's mother at one time being affiliated with the association of mercenaries, dubbed "heroes," that used prestige as their primary currency. However, she retained a mind sharpened by confrontations with all manner of creature. She continued, "Remember, it's that behavior that resulted in Ari selling his soul to Stan. He can't sell it again if another ghost puts a curse on you."

Annie shivered recalling the time when she endured the dreaded "Pig Latin Curse." She flails her legs as she observes her shadow, turned pink as a side effect of Stan's magic. Annie offers, "How about I let Dad and Ari know that lunch is almost ready?" Her mother turns to respond, but Annie uses the excuse as pretext for her escape. James, the ghostly servant of Stan, enters the kitchen walking through the wall. The apparition slides onto setting the table, as has been his routine since Stan took residence in Ari's home.

Back at the Town Hall, Ari informs Stan, "In that folder is a map showing all the property lines." Stan halts his fury and becomes suspiciously cooperative. In one hand he grabs the folder and the other a pencil. He narrowly cracks open the folder as he peeks in, "Damn it! It's in ink!"

"Of course it is," Ari retorts. Stan trembles with rage muttering under his breath, "You are but a slave, yet you persist in mocking your dark lord and master?" Stan hunches over like a pouting toddler and glides to Ari's father. Ari's father then inquires, "Son, did you find the building code guidelines?"

Running his finger along the body of the text Ari replies, "I'm scanning over the pompous language used to get the codes passed. I think after the first fifteen pages I'll see the actual regulation." The front doors swing wide open as Annie bursts into the room announcing, "Lunch is ready." And as quickly as she arrived she vanishes. Ari's father adjusts his glasses, "How about we leave for a moment? The fence the butcher needs to build to keep his livestock from eating other folks' gardens doesn't have to be built this instant."

Ari never raises his head as he states, "Go on ahead, Dad. I'll be there in a second."

"Atta' boy. That discipline will get you far." Ari's father takes leave. Ari pauses for a few moments then hops out of his chair and bounds across the empty office to a specific filing cabinet.

Chapter 8: And Now It Looks Like Innocence Has Gone

Stan inquires, "What are you looking for, Slave?" Stan peeks over Ari's shoulder, "Birth Certificates?"

"Right, this cabinet has records for all the births in Tenel Village the same year I was born." Ari races past surnames until he finds the letter he wanted. Stan announced the fairly obvious, "I don't get it." Ari thumbs through several names, and then retraces his search, "Not here."

"What's not here?"

"My Birth Certificate."

"So? When my empire is made reality there will be now need for such trivial record keeping. All of the population will be in service to me. How many there are and when they were born will be inconsequential."

Ignoring Stan's lecture on government, Ari moves on to another filing cabinet. He finds the documents he wants them brings them up to the light. Stan loses his patience, "_Now what?!_"

"These are receipts from the 'Royal Capital,' in reality the World Library. The basic function of Dad's office is to handle daily affairs, but also to run Beiloune's spy network via reports of the characteristics of the villagers. When the reports are filed in the World Library for that damn Classification Table, receipts are sent back confirming they were received. Here's my sister's and this is mine, but if you look real closely you'll see that mine is a fraud."

"Your point, Slave?"

"Part of why I escaped from Beiloune's Classifications was because I was never part of it. Dad hated the Table and doing what amounted to little more than government run gossip. When I was born he gambled that he could keep me out of the Table, due to his post. Regarding one child it was feasible, but excluding Annie was pressing his luck. Thus when she was born, Dad had to give her up and make her part of the machine. Pollack saw what was going on from the World Library and ran with it so he could stick it to Beiloune."

"That buffoon did all that?"

"Yeah he did." As Ari replaced the items he thought smiling, "Thanks Dad."

The steady pounding of feet made the mad dash sound more like a drum beat. Ari soon closed the distance to his house. He reached for the door handle as a spider bungee-jumped from the door frame and halted in front of his face. He cried out and fell back, his head reverberating like a coconut striking the ground. Bracing the back of his head he rose to see Marlene holding the end of the strand of web and gave the pest a new home in the nearby tree. Ultimately everything began with Marlene, the daughter of Beiloune. Wishing to create a world where she could enjoy life eternal playing, Beiloune separated part of the world through Classification, which can be best described as a fusion of magic and mass hypnosis. In this fantasy land Marlene played many roles in a world where the residents lived their lives never knowing the yoke they lived under. Much excitement was in the air on account of the terror brought about by Stan's prior incarnation, the Great Evil King Gohma. The intended savior would be a hero that would provide a groom for Marlene. However, a man by the name of Hopkins, a man without Classification due to Pollack's intervention, rose up to slay the fiend. As a result of the turmoil this unscripted victory created, Marlene was cast out of Beiloune's world and into the land of the shadowless.

Beiloune, unable to find his child, animated a doll in her semblance to act in her place. Unbeknownst to Beiloune, Marlene found herself able to see and hear through the counterfeit. In time the doll developed a will of its own, as demonstrated by the doll's growing affections for Ari upon meeting him during his quest to subdue the false Evil Kings that fed off Stan's powers. After Beiloune was defeated and his illusion was finally shattered, Marlene traveled from the city of the lost and took residence at Ari's house. She muses, "We should tell Rosalyn about this. It may endear you to her if she knew you're still human."

"Hi." Ari picked himself up and slapped away the layer of dust. Stan chastises, "Damn it, Slave, how am I to conquer the world when my right hand man is terrified of lower life-forms."

James bolts through the wall protesting, "Master Stanley, I thought I was you're right hand man."

"You know what I mean, James. He's dumb muscle."

Ari ignores the drama going on beside him as he replies to Marlene, "Something smells good...Stew?"

Marlene nods, "Yes."

Ari attempts to stay on the new topic as he enters the house, "Did you make it?"

"Oh no, I just helped with cutting up a few vegetables."

"Really?"

Marlene grins as they enter the room serving as kitchen and dining room, "Of course you could simply get on one knee and tell her," Marlene places on hand over her heart and reaches forth with the other, "'All these emotions of mine keep holding me from, eh, giving my life to rainbow like you. But I'm eh, yeah, I'm bold as love.'"

Ari looks away as his face turns red. He stumbles as he reaches for his seat at the table, across from Annie and beside his grandmother. And so all are assembled, the young man, his sister, his parents and his mother's parents, as well as the puppet master's daughter, the Evil King and his servant. Strange as it was, these bizarre guests hosted by a rather normal family, it had become the routine.

Ari's mother inquires, "Stan, aren't you going to eat at all?"

Stan boasts, "I am a higher being, such lowly things do not concern me."

James slurps from his bowl then protests, "But madam's meals are of excellent quality."

Ari explains, "He just won't get out of my shadow because he's paranoid."

Stan quivers with rage, "I am no such thing!"

"Then how about getting out when I'm using the bathroom?"

Ari's father recalls, "Tyrants are typically their most paranoid when their reign is about to end."

"Impertinent, despicable, back-biting worms!" Stan claws the air, "That's it! I will return to conquering the entire world, not merely that strip of real estate Beiloune carved out." Stan knocks over Ari's half-full bowl, "Enough, Slave! Go into your room and grab your war blades." Ari scowls over his remaining lunch.

"Excuse me." Ari rises and leaves the room. Afterwards, outside the house Ari stands ready wielding both the Forgotten Sword and Sword of Gear, the former an ancient weapon that Hopkins used to defeat Gohma, the latter was developed by subversives within Beiloune's doll house to stand against him on equal footing. Both being quality weapons, it was only natural that Ari eventually learn to use both in concert. Remaining in Ari's shadow, Stan wafts in the air some distance away. Beside him are cords and cords of firewood.

"You need to be sharpened like the swords you hold in order to strike down any new pretenders."

Ari rolls his eyes. In frustration, Stan grabs a piece of wood and hurls it at Ari. Ari snaps to attention quick enough to strike away the projectile, but only shaves a little bark off. Stan nods, "You see, that's exactly my point."

"I've decided to become a conscientious objector."

"I own you! You shall serve my purposes till your death, and then I shall still have your soul within my grasp. Rescind on your end and I shall afflict your brat sibling not only with the curse I so generously removed, I will have her shrieking in terror with ailments no mortal man can comprehend."

Ari grits his teeth. Having regained his powers when Ari and his companions defeated Beiloune, it is likely that Stan could make good on his threat. Ari tightens his grip to the point the weapons once again become extensions of himself. Stan lobs another log, Ari splits it in half. Two more pieces take flight and are struck down. Again two are hurled, Ari draws them into quarters. Stan fumes, then seizes piece after piece, turning them into missiles on haphazard paths. The twin blades dance like petals in the wind as Ari guides them to destroying the munitions. Ari stabs the last of the artillery then swings hard, sending it back to Stan. Stan ducks as the wood flies over his head. Then he recalls that while inhabiting Ari's shadow he is invulnerable to physical attacks.

"Slave, you test my patience in ways I should kill you for."

"Then you'll have to fall back on Big Bull for muscle."

Stan flinches at the prospect of the false Evil King accompanying him once more. Ari scratches his rump, unimpressed with the Evil King. Marlene steps out of the house and walks around the massive structure perched upon a hill to speak to Ari. She speaks and looks blankly, still troubled by Stan's mention of her father and the atrocious act he committed.

"If possible, please bring the firewood you cut up into the house. It's supposed to be a cold night."

Ari nods and Marlene returns to the house. Ari sheathes his weapons, and then kneels down to pick up the wood. He cradles it in one arm as the other gathers. Once he has a sizeable load, he returns to the house as Stan berates him. Unknown to them, a man in red with a gray head of hair and moustache observes from the edge of a cliff on all fours. The man in this bestial pose is none other than the taskmaster Beiloune himself. Like a rabid mountain lion he snarls at Ari and Stan. Conspiracies and foul methods of murder swirl together in his mind. Then a voice laced with venom creeps up behind him, "May I presume that this was not your intent?"

Beiloune spins like a tilting top to face a woman in a fiery green gown which sneers at the grassy ground. Her face is like a spider's, waiting greedily for a new victim. Accompanying her is a smiling towering monstrosity in shiny metallic purple armor.

"You...of course, now the way is open for him as well."

The woman delights as she confirms, "Oh yes, it is only a matter of time before that dreadful man sends his legions into your dominion."

Beiloune snaps, "I don't care about that! I want my daughter back from that deviant," his face dons a cold expression, "and the deviant...dead."

"Then it appears that there are certain wants of each party that the other can fulfill."

Beiloune gets to his feet, "You can kill the boy and get Marlene back?"

The woman scowls, "We can return your little princess to you, but we need the boy alive. We suspect he is who we are looking for."

"That deviant...no. And yet that makes perfect sense," Beiloune's eyes widen as his twisted mind embraces the new theory, "Of course, that is how he confounded my best efforts, even when I used all the powers of Classification to slay him."

The woman arches her brow, "That's exactly what we need to speak with you about. With Classification we can return Marlene and goad the boy to strike dead the Phoenix King."

"But that's just it. I have lost it entirely."

The woman grows concerned, "Could you not give us your power?"

"I can neither use nor grant it, the power is completely lost."

The woman sighs, "I suppose you then have nothing to offer in return, but no bother. You will be reunited with Marlene regardless." She turns to her accomplice and steps forward, halting as she rests one hand on his chest and brings her fist close to her throat then hooks her thumb. The brute nods as he reads the sign. The woman continues her path as the gruesome thing approaches Beiloune. He extends his hand to Beiloune, who steps back confused. Beiloune gasps for breath, his body feeling drained. The rage in Beiloune's heart seeps from his body and forms a blade of crimson energy in the hand of Anger, the armored hulk standing before him. Beiloune screams as he is struck dead. Anger quivers with ecstasy as his mother, Queen Jealousy, pauses and winces in regret, "Reunited in _death_, in _death_. I should have mentioned that little detail." She clicks her tongue and continues her course.

In the house the occupants freeze as the scream runs throughout the building. Ari drops the firewood in his arm as he dashes out of the house. Marlene bounds over the debris running a close second, Annie and her parents also follow. The elders of the house remain beside the fireplace. James flies through the back of the house as Ari passes. He inquires, "Is it who I think it is?"

Ari snaps, "Not a word." They continue along the dirt path up the hills and search for the source. Stan turns toward the cliff and taps Ari's shoulder. He looks over his shoulder and his eyes bulge. Marlene also spots the body of Beiloune. She covers her mouth as the reality begins to sink in. Tears begin to well as she buries her face against Ari. He holds her close and strokes her gently. Annie sits down, dumbstruck. Ari's father adjusts his glasses and Ari's mother frowns.

Annie had never seen a dead body before, rather odd considering that the cemetery was within a five second sprint of her house. Ari, his father, and Stan lower the casket as James sets the tombstone in place. Marlene sobs and Annie leads her back to the house. The four take shovels and move on to filling the grave. Stan notes, "Strange, I didn't even know he was there. But what bothers me most is that I didn't notice whoever snuffed Beiloune."

James inquires, "Do you think this will interfere with your plans, Master?"

Stan postures, "Of course not, I'll grab 'em and beat 'em and smack 'em and grind 'em into powder and sweep 'em under the rug."

Ari's father states, "The circus is coming in a couple days. Maybe the ringmaster would know something." The Ringmaster, Block, also formerly known as the Circus Evil King, was the principle character in starting Ari and Stan's campaign. He informed them of the false Evil Kings and distributed the "Map o' Evil Kings," revealing the number and locations of the great pretenders. Block also assisted Ari in escaping the land of the shadowless when Ari slipped out of the world Beiloune created. Ari considers this and nods.

Waiting under fire is taxing on the mind, yet it is waiting during an uneventful span of time that wears one the psyche most harshly. Those two days could have been two years for all the residents could tell. In the much anticipated morning Marlene strolled along the path to the circus grounds. When she reaches her destination she finds Ari sleeping on a stump. She takes a seat beside him and leans against him. An hour passes and Ari begins to rouse. He squeezes his eyelids then slowly peels back his lids. Ari clears his throat and spits on the ground. Then, he notices Marlene resting beside him. Ari smiles groggily, "Hi."

"Hi," Marlene replies in turn. Ari frowns with a downcast glance, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"I'll do what I can to straighten things out. I'm not sure I'll always know what to do, but I'll try."

Marlene looks at him with mournful eyes, "I know you will."

Stan pops up and berates the pair, "Enough, Slave! I don't have any use for a Byronic hero." Stan continues to spew obscenities, halted only by music parading through the air. Ari and Marlene hop to their feet and study the path to spy a troupe of circus performers. The troupe closes the distance and begins to swarm the camp ground. An old clown passes by and stops to inform Ari, "Cute date, but you're too early." The dwarfish man resumes walking. The two attempt to locate the Ringmaster within the group still proceeding to approach the camp site. Ari cups his hands around his mouth and calls out, "Block!"

A round, short man with a top hat leaps out of the band of travelers, "Boy!" The man plods forward, "You made good, kid. You did a heck of a job." Block pats Ari on the arm, "Did you wait here just to see us?"

"I'm sorry, but the matter is too grim for this revelry," is how Marlene interrupts the Ringmaster. Block looks up to Marlene, "Oh..." Block nods then turns back, "Epros! Linda! Hurry over here!"

Epros floats en route to his destination as Linda races beside him, her skirt flapping like a battle flag and her microphone swinging like a mace. Epros, the former Phantom Evil King, is a specter-like man with blond hair, a face white as snow save the face paint around his eyes. Ironic, how one so bizarre could be so shocked. He halts as he catches sight of Marlene. Linda, an energetic young woman with devilish horns on her head and at one time bearer of the title "Teen-Idol Evil King," seemed oblivious to the implications of Marlene's presence. Epros asks, "The likeness is startling I must admit. Be you original or counterfeit?"

"I...am Beiloune's child."

Ari interrupts them, "We couldn't wait too long."

Linda cheerfully questions, "What's up? You want front row seats?"

Stan manifests and bellows, "No! Beiloune got the ax and we need info."

Epros turns to Ari, "He is gone now? Slain him hath thou?" Marlene clutches her heart in despair. Ari's features darken and Epros waves his hand, "Let loose no fury, it was a mandatory inquiry." Linda hops as she requests, "Stan, tell us how he killed him." Ari's fist quakes. Block states, "Let's go to the bar and discuss this behind closed doors." This is sufficient to silence them until they reach their destination.

Block puts away beer after beer and ponders aloud, "I'm drawing a blank. You sure it wasn't bandits?"

Ari shakes his head, "I doubt it...We're not even sure of how many were involved."

Stan declares, "Some kind of magic was involved, that I sensed."

Epros points out, "That's hardly useful intel, most creatures can cast a spell."

Ari notes, "All we can say is that it was a savage number that was done on him."

Linda wiggles in sadistic delight, "Was it messy and goopy?"

Marlene closes her eyes and sighs. Then a flash of a memory strikes her, "Hold on," The amateur profilers watch Marlene, "I have only a partial recollection, the centuries between then and now has eroded most details. However, I do remember that before Father cut off this land from the rest of the world, he was deathly afraid of something...or someone. Scared to the point that he couldn't simply wait it out. Maybe...he was also trying to protect us from something and it finally caught up with us."

Block nods, "Hmm. Maybe...that very well could be what happened." Ari slumps over, his eyes bulging, hairs standing on end, chest heaving. The others turn their attention to Ari. Ari gnashes his teeth and bolts for the door. He gallops along the dirt road past familiar faces and places that were the bulk of the world he knew. The Butcher's, the nagging Breadmaker, the Blacksmith's, the man who was always scared, the perpetually vacant inn, Julia who played him like a flute; all these flew past him as he left town for his only refuge.

Ari's mother sits at the edge of the fountain in front of the house. She smiles as she loses herself watching the vast sea of trees. The gate swings open and slams shut, followed by feet drumming up along the steps. Ari slows down once he catches sight of his mother. She pats on the old stone beside her, "Come sit beside me, my only son, and listen to what I say." Ari complies and his mother holds him close, "Troubles will come and they will pass. Go find a woman and you'll find love, and don't forget son, there is someone up above." Ari's mother leans over and looks him in the eye, "Forget your lust for the rich man's gold," She points to Ari's heart, "All that you need is in your soul. Boy don't you worry...you'll find yourself. Follow your heart and nothing else. And you can do this if you try. All I want for you my son, is to be satisfied."

Ari views the scenery as his mother's words soothe him, "Thanks, Mom. I'm just worried. We fought Beiloune to dismantle his empire of puppets, but now I'm starting to wonder if we inadvertently unleashed something far more terrible. And that thought is killing me."

"It's bothering you, too?"

Ari and his mother turn to discover the source of the like minded voice, a blonde woman in a military-style uniform, a sight Ari longed for.

"Hi, Rosalyn. It's really good to see you."

Rosalyn tips her parasol to remain in its shadow, "I'm glad to see you, too." Rosalyn takes a seat on Ari's right, "I have to ask first, have you seen Stan? The bastard talks big, but he's been under the radar for so long I've found only a cold trail." Stan reveals himself and proceeds to ramble, "You self-serving, vigilante witch!"

"There you are; I thought there was a fake evil being nearby."

"_WHAT!?_ You dare to question the evilness of the Great Evil King?"

"How about bringing my shadow back to normal you jerk?"

"I'll will not, I tricked you fair and square."

Rosalyn grips the hilt of her rapier. Ari informs her, "He got his powers back, so he can return to his normal body. But he's paranoid and I can't get rid of him."

"Argh! Slave, how dare you belittle me before this pest."

"Beiloune was murdered, that takes priority over your flimsy pride."

Rosalyn steps back as she absorbs this new information. Her brow furrows and she asks Ari, "He's dead?"

"Yup."

"Someone _else_ killed him?"

Ari scowls and crosses his arms, "I didn't do it. His power was gone, there's no way I could rationalize killing him now. And Marlene would never forgive me."

"Huh?"

Ari points over to the main gate of Tenel. Rosalyn turns and fixes on Marlene leaving the town accompanied by the circus trio. Rosalyn studies her, noting the similarities in appearance.

"They look exactly the same, but they're not at all alike."

Ari's mother chimes, "That's why I had no idea who she was when she first appeared at our home."

Rosalyn nods as she watches Marlene open the gate to Ari's home. Marlene lifts her gaze and locks eyes with Rosalyn. She raises her hand to wave, but once the hand is level with her naval she freezes. The retired false Evil Kings eye her, puzzled by this behavior. Ari rises and stands beside Rosalyn as he looks down the hill. Marlene's teeth grit and muscles tighten. Her hand then shoots forward, spearheaded by an accusatory finger. Linda slides to Marlene's side and comments, "Do you really want to get in a fight over a guy who's..." Linda shrugs for want of a euphemism "...kinda' dorky."

Marlene glances over to Linda, pauses for a few moments, and then swiftly slaps Linda. Epros catches the shocked Linda. Marlene growls, "Keep out of my business." The ground quakes and the sea of trees split as a gargantuan golem emerges. Ari's mother bolts from the fountain to the house. She shouts, "Annie, get your grandparents into the basement and stay with them. Now!" Marlene smiles with malicious amusement, "Do not fret, I won't pull the family into my fight." The ancient mass of stone cocks back its arm. Rosalyn draws her weapon, Stan spews explenatives, and Ari reaches for his sides to discover he had left his weapons in the house. Linda regains her footing, freeing Epros to employ his deck of cards. Block summarizes the situation concisely, "Crap."

The golem sends its fist crashing to the earth like a comet. Ari and Rosalyn evade the assault. The thoughtless brute draws its fist from the crater it clumsily made in the hill and moves to Marlene with open palm. She steps onto the pillar fingers and the thing raises her to its belly, as if it were presenting some sort of icon in a religious procession. Marlene calls out, "Go to Madril if you wish to know the reason you shall die."

The titan turns, abandoning its earthen womb, and proceeds in a steady march. Baffled, the false Evil Kings, the hero, the mother, and the young man remain fixed. Stan claws the air, "What the hell was that about? What does Madril have to do with anything?"

Ari replies, "I don't really care." He prepares to pursue Marlene, but Rosalyn takes hold of him. She notes, "Normally, I would second that sentiment. Not only are you unarmed, we're completely in the dark."

"Time is precious, so we must show thrift. But move too quick, and death be swift." is how Epros advises caution. Block contributes, "I'll go to the general store and get some supplies." The Ringmaster plods along back to Tenel. Ari watches the golem shrink into a dot on the horizon, baffled and distraught. Rosalyn warns, "We can't just get up and go, we have to be fully prepared."

Ari cast down his eyes, "I know."

Stan protests, "I have more than enough power to deep fry that sociopathic skank."

"Shut up!"

Ari's mother asks of her son, "Help me calm Annie down. You too, Rosalyn, she's taken a liking to you." The two nod and enter the house. Linda flails her microphone, "I'll beat her and batter her and offer her as a sacrifice to the war gods." The face of Epros becomes blank as the gears in his head turn, ever vigilant in plotting a means to take the advantage.

In less than half an hour, the house is shaken up by a new commotion. On the second floor, Ari's father tears away at the boards blocking a room that had been sealed up since before the family moved into the house. Ari and company rush to the scene.

"Dad, what're you doing?"

"I got a feeling that there's something here that matters."

Ari takes a claw hammer and pries the nails out. The broken pieces of wood fall to the floor and Ari holds the nails in his mouth. Ari's father twists the knob, but it refuses to give in. Stan offers, "For a share of the loot, I'll unlock it."

Stan oozes to the floor and slides under the door. "Ugh. Everything's coated in dust." A sharp click and Stan slithers out of the room, "Take anything you want. I wouldn't touch anything in that room." The door remains stubborn as the rusted hinges grind together. A whirlwind of dust forms and Ari pulls up his vest to cover his mouth. With only one door and no windows, the small room appears to be little more than a storage space. However, the taste of decay and stagnation in the air gave the room an evil feeling. Ari's father zips around him, unconcerned with health risks and opens the drawers of a desk on the opposite side of the room. Ari and his friends watch his father, who moves with certainty in his instinct. Metal clangs together like wind chimes and Ari's father produces a key ring holding together several massive keys.

Ari steps back, "Holy crap."

Rosalyn thinks aloud, "Those can't be for a door, but what?"

Ari's father opens his mouth to speak, then stops; he cocks his head to the side then shrugs, "Dunno, something very large. Maybe a machine in Madril. Well, you should take them anyway."

Epros declares, "Heroes and Evil Kings, fake and real, let us not err as we march to the City of Steel. Let us not again play the pawn, with our destinies forsawn."

Stan replies, "You need a record deal to get that talk out of your system."

Rosalyn interjects, "His rhyme-talk is annoying, but he makes a good point."

Ari examines the keys, the good condition hides their age. His mind wanders, only to be interrupted by Annie calling for lunch. He shuts the door behind him and he slowly reaches the table. During the meal, a strange war conference convenes.

Linda barks, "We should follow the trail of that colossus! That'll be the best way to find her."

James suggests, "Why not follow the main road to Madril? It's fairly expedient and you'll get to the same place."

Stan bellows, "We're not taking a vacation, we're going after that tramp!"

Rosalyn interrupts, "Those routes are too obvious, either way anything hostile will know we're coming."

"Be quiet, dishwater woman!"

"Fake Evil Being!"

"Arghhhhhhhhhh!"

"Fake Evil Being! Fake Evil Being! Fake Evil Being! F-F-F-F-F-F-F-Fake Evil Being!"

"You fluorescent pink bimbo!" He struck a raw nerve and kept drilling. Rosalyn's lips press shut, clamped by her teeth. She shivers and the world blurs as tears well up. Her raised fist shakes, then she flees from the room. Stan laughs and Ari scowls. Linda and James stay quiet, Epros tilts his head twice in Rosalyn's direction, saying silently to Ari, "What you intend to do, do now. There's only so much leeway time will allow."

Ari hardly required the instruction, for he rose to follow her. He listens carefully to track down Rosalyn. While doing so he informs Stan, "I'm going to talk to her and you're not saying a word."

"Ha! I will not settle for a partial victory."

"I wasn't asking you, I was _telling_ you." Ari turns the knob and pauses to take a deep breath. He enters and flicks off the light before his foot comes down. While he confined to Ari's shadow, Stan can only manifest when Ari has a shadow. Thus, in total darkness Stan is unable to appear, even though he now has sufficient power to have a physical body. In the darkness he reached out for her, led by her despair he continued onward, hoping that Providence would give him the words to warm her spirit and the strength to show his weaker side. His hand made contact with slender warmth and reeled back in trepidation. A sensation like rippling water passes through him, and then he returns to hold her hand. She in turn reaches out, and they come together, interlocking.

"Your shadow will be back to normal."

"Doubt it; it's the one card Stan knows he can play effectively ten out of ten."

"Forget him, we'll find another way."

When the deviant Hopkins slew Gohma, the Great Evil King was reincarnated as Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV. However, Stan became trapped inside a magic bottle before he could resume his designs on global conquest. Time passed on and the bottle endured a cycle of being found, lost and found again. This went on for nearly three hundred years when Rosalyn discovered the bottle. Unaware of the contents she opened it and Stan used the opportunity to claim a host. Terrified of the horrors she may unleash as Stan's host, Rosalyn prepared to take her own life. Stan decided she was unsuitable and verbalized his thoughts on why this was so. He returned to the bottle and Rosalyn retaliated by kicking it over a cliff. This boon became a curse, for Stan left a seal of his evil influence, Rosalyn's shadow turned hot pink. Shunned and mocked by her associates, she would hide in the shadow of a parasol to conceal her curse. Three years later, Ari's sister Annie would be the victim of a ghost's curse. Ari's father performed a ritual to open the recently acquired bottle, believing to be some other item of a magical nature. Ari was found to have the perfect shadow for Stan's control. And so the pact was made, in exchange for Ari's soul and eternal servitude Stan would lift the curse placed on Annie. Annie's shadow was turned pink as well, yet it somehow became advantageous for her. It was early on in Stan's service that Ari first encountered Rosalyn. Not long afterwards the two were to fight under the same standard.

Ari's chest heaved like a race horse as the blood rushed from his head and his body began to feel weary, used up. He pushes himself against her and lets the words roll off his tongue, "Rosalyn, I love you."

Her chest tightens, her free hand twitches, and her eyes stare off into the darkness. Rosalyn stammers, "Hoo boy, I...I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to love me yet."

Ari lets go and walks back to the door. He flicks on the light as he opens the door. Stan pops up, "Hey, Slave! Show the proper respects!" Ari exits the room and shuts the door. Stretching through the crack under the door, Stan berates Rosalyn. Ari continues pacing away, stretching Stan further, he slowly begins to slide underneath. Stan remains on the verbal assault, clinging to the door frame as he struggles to keep his head in the room. His grip slips and Stan snaps back to Ari. Rosalyn dries her eyes and wonders, "How do I explain it to him?" She lowers her parasol and studies her pink shadow, "Even if I'm rid of this, can I have a normal life?" She sighs and slowly walks in a circle as she sings, "Every time I think about it I want to cry, with the bombs and the devils and the kids keep coming, no way to feel easy...no time to be young."

The morning comes, provisions are made, and plans agreed on. Block explains to the motley crew, "I don't have any skills for fighting, and I told you all I know. I'll wish you luck, but that's all I can really do for you." James gushes, "Oh, Master. I'm so delighted to see you resume your journey." The band of misfits make their way to the door and Ari's father cues the family, "1...2...3." Ari's father and mother, sister, and grandparents call out, "Good luck!"

Once again the man was on a journey. Once again powers conspire against him and his desire to live a quiet life. Though a victim of circumstance, his will was his own, as it always was and always shall be.


End file.
